Evolution
by Magnus Prime
Summary: Based on BOF3 Nina decides that Momo 'needs a man'... same continuum as Mint's 'A Wyndian Princess'
1. Prologue

**Evolution**  
by Magnus Prime

  
"Great!" the princess exclaimed as she clapped her hands together and rose from her seat. "I'll make the arrangements." She stood and, with a _whoosh_ of the royal gowns, quickly headed back to the castle. The princess' bodyguard had to run to keep up with her.

Ryu leaned back in the chair with a thoughtful expression.

Nina had come to ask him to help her 'find a husband for Momo', as she had put it. The Wyndian princess had decided that Momo shouldn't live in the tower by herself anymore, and should start looking for a husband. Further, Nina had also decided that Ryu would be perfect for the young engineer to 'practice' with, since Momo was comfortable around him from their travels together.

"You could help her become used to courtship, so she will be more comfortable around potential suitors," Nina had explained.

In the end, Ryu had agreed, even though he still didn't understand the concepts involved. Dating? Suitors? He finally stopped trying to understand and decided that if he could help Momo and make the princess happy, he would help any way he could. 


	2. Chapter One

A dull ring sounded as Ryu knocked on the door to Momo's workroom. Fortunately, Ryu didn't have to fight any creatures this time. After the mishaps at the Plant and the discovery of the technologies at Myria's station, Momo stopped all of her Chrysm research and instead devoted her studies to the ancient technologies. When the Chrysm disappeared, so did the creatures.

Ryu smiled as he heard an annoyed voice from the other side grumble, "I'm coming, I'm coming…" Apparently the young engineer didn't quite agree with the princess' decision. He straightened his expression as the door opened.

Momo's head poked around the edge of the door. "Hi, Ryu. She didn't strong-arm you into this, did she?"

Ryu rotated his arm at the shoulder. "Not too badly. Should be healed in a couple of days." His lips visibly tensed as he tried to hide a smile.

His efforts turned out to be in vain. Momo chuckled softly while shaking her head.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I think I'm supposed to give these to you." Ryu handed her the assortment of flowers. He grinned lopsidedly. "Nina said so."

Momo played along. "And if I remember correctly, I'm supposed to take them…" she stepped around the door and took the flowers from him, "invite you inside…" she put on her friendliest smile, "'Would you like to come in?'"

Ryu exaggerated his bow. "'Why, thank you, I think I would!'" The former traveling companions shared another chuckle as he stepped into the room, the previously felt tension draining by the second.

"…And then, I'm supposed to find a vase for them." Momo adjusted the glasses perched on her nose before looking for the item in question.

Ryu scanned the room with her, to no avail. He turned to her to comment and was stunned into silence.

Momo felt his gaze upon her and turned. "What?"

During their travels she had always opted to wear her puffy engineer's uniform, much to the amusement of their resident tiger-man Rei. The ensemble she now wore reminded Ryu that Momo was a woman.

Although the colors and lines were the same as her old engineer's uniform, her new ensemble was…different. Black moccasins still clad her feet, but her pants, while still 'puffy', were nowhere near the size they used to be. A matching white blouse, loose enough to be modest but still hint at the form underneath, partly hid under a blue buttonless vest-type jacket, light blue with a single white stripe running around its border.

Ryu's mouth opened and closed several times. He finally gestured at her attire. "I've never seen you in anything but your engineers' uniform before."

Momo smiled ruefully. "…First time…"

"You look really pretty. I didn't know you had curves…oops," he finished as Momo looked down at the floor, her smile disappearing. "I'm sorry."

The engineer's voice replied, barely a murmur. "It's okay." She looked up at him, and he noticed a type of sadness in her eyes he had never seen before, a type he could not identify. She smiled weakly. "Can we go now?"

Ryu nodded wordlessly and walked out of the workshop to stand just outside the door. Momo handed the flowers to Honey before heading out the door herself. "Honey will lock the door," she answered in response to Ryu's unasked question.

"Okay."

They made their way down to the tower's main entrance, Ryu gently gnawing on his lower lip as he tried to figure out exactly what went wrong back at her workshop. He had initially noticed that she seemed somewhat out of sorts, but since he hadn't visited her in a long time, he had chalked it up to 'personal growth'. But seeing her reaction to his intended compliment left him more than a little puzzled.

The thoughts continued to nag at him as they began down the main road toward the café. He finally let them drop, unconsciously shrugging his shoulders as the two started down the road.

Momo noticed his actions. "What'cha thinking about?"

Momentarily surprised, the dragon jumped slightly. "Uh, nothing," he answered reflexively.

"Awfully serious expression for 'nothing'."

Ryu snorted quietly, a wry smile growing. "Sorry. Bad habit I picked up from Rei. Actually, I…" he paused, wondering still if this was the right thing to do. "…I was trying to figure out exactly how I…hurt you…back…" Self-consciousness kept him from finishing the thought but not from timidly gesturing back toward the tower.

Momo stopped. So did Ryu, who turned to face her. "You think I'm mad at you?"

Ryu nodded. "Well, yeah."

Momo's ears twitched as she adjusted her spectacles before putting her fists to her hips. "Ryu, you are the last person I would ever become angry with."

"Rei being the first…"

"Quiet." She straightened up completely, a sure sign that she was about to use words that he wouldn't understand. "While it would be accurate to speculate that the nature of my distress originates from without, there is insufficient data to conclude that you are the aforementioned origin of said distress."

"In real words…?" Ryu somehow looked lost and hopeful at the same time.

She sniffed as her ears twitched once again. "Yes, I'm upset, but it's not your fault." She stormed past him, hands still balled in fists.

Ryu jogged to catch up with her, then slowed to talking speed. "Momo, slow down. Whose fault is it?" He barely made out a grumbled reply. "What?"

"I said 'Several things, but mainly (grumble)'…"

"Nina? Why are you mad at Nina? What has she done?"

Momo whirled on him, bringing him up short. "What has she done? Didn't she tell you anything?" She stuck a wagging finger in the face of the most powerful entity in the world. "I'll tell you what she's done. But first: Did she ask you to accompany me, or did she tell you?"

"She…she asked me…"

The wagging finger started jabbing its owner in the chest. "Well, she didn't ask me!" The finger resumed wagging. "She gets it in her head that I need a 'husband' or 'man' or whatever term she's now using, and now I'm going on a date whether I want to or not!"

"You could have refused…"

"Right. Refuse the Princess of Wyndia. Smart move. The only reason I didn't protest is because she's my friend, and I hate her for it!" Out of wind, Momo sat on the nearest rock and dropped her head into her hands.

Ryu watched her but said nothing.

A voice finally emerged from the hands. "My turn to apologize." She lifted her head from her hands. No tears came from her eyes, but the evident frustration more than made up for it. "If she had just asked, said something like 'Ryu's in town, maybe you two could get together and reminisce'. I would have been okay with that."

"But she didn't, Ryu. She came one time, visited for a while, then later sent a letter telling me that she was locating someone for me to practice 'dating' with." She whirled her head to look northward. "You could have at least asked me!" she shouted in the general direction of Wyndia.

Ryu took in a deep breath then let it escape noisily between his lips. "Momo, I don't think Nina meant any harm…"

"I know, I know…" Momo waved off any further protest.

"She's probably just nervous about her…her…" Ryu struggled, trying to remember the right term.

"'Arranged marriage'," Momo finished for him. "Misery loves company, I guess."

"I guess…" Ryu mused, arms crossed. Then he blinked. "Hey! Wait a minute…!"

"Relax, Ryu, it's not the same. I'm not marrying you." She smiled up at him, a genuine smile. "I am, however, having dinner with you, so instead of sitting here while I feel sorry for myself, we should hurry over there so we can tell each other everything that's happened over the last four years." She held out her hand.

He returned her smile, plus interest. "I've been hoping you'd say that," he said while reaching to help her up.

  


******************************************************

  
Momo stood in wonder at the sight before her. "Well, this is different." She looked at her 'date'. "New owner?"

Ryu looked back at her with a smile. "Haven't been here for a while, huh? No, same owner. Millie's seen more business since the rumors of a new trade route started a while back, so she expanded. The outdoor part of the café was moved to the bottom of the hill for travelers who just want something to drink."

Momo adjusted her glasses and looked to where he pointed up ahead. "Yes, I see the drink counter."

Ryu lowered his arm. "Yeah, and she had a roof built over the tables at the top of the hill for people who wanted protection from the rain." He squinted into the sunset as they made the slight westward turn. "Or the sun," he added.

Finally they reached the outdoor café and Ryu stopped. "So which one - up or down?" he asked as he turned to face the engineer.

"I'm sorry?"

"Up?" He pointed at the covered dining area. "Or Down?" he spread his hands to indicate the tables nearby.

An impish grin played out across Momo's face. "Did Nina tell you to do this, too?"

Ryu dropped his hands. "No, why?"

The grin disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Umm…never mind." She said, shaking her head. She examined the setting.

Several small round tables greeted her with simple chairs, some occupied, others awaiting the honor of a client or two. Large red-and-white checkerboard umbrellas rose above each table, more decorative than practical. Momo determined that the umbrellas were to keep direct sunlight from a patron's face while allowing a relatively unobstructed view of the sky. A member of the Lupine race wiped down a reddish-brown hardwood counter at the bar while whistling a tune known only to him. Several gleaming bottles sat neatly in rows behind him. A couple of men, Plant workers most likely, hunched over the bar, rewarding themselves for a good day's work.

"Either locale would have distinct advantages," she said, as her ears began a series of waves. "The outdoor café would allow for a better view of the night sky, which I understand to be 'romantic'. However, the covered area is closer to the kitchen, thus accelerating meal delivery. However…"

As she continued her compare/contrast analysis, Ryu listened in wonder. He had to stop when the list became too long. His personal preference would have been the outdoor café, being the outdoor creature that he was, but he wanted to leave it up to the engineer since she seemed more nervous about the 'date'.

He didn't realize that she had finally addressed him until he felt a light burning sensation on the side of his face. He turned to see Momo, arms crossed, ears twitching, glaring at him. "Were you even paying attention?" she demanded, with an extra twitch for emphasis.

Ryu looked appropriately sheepish. "I… don't think as much as you do. I…sorry…I kinda got lost."

Momo's expression softened as she dropped her arms. "I guess I do go on, don't I? I'm sorry." She sighed as her face slightly flushed. "Do I need to repeat my question?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"I asked if you had any preference. I ended up talking myself into the proverbial corner."

"Oh. Well… I kinda like the outdoors, so…Down okay? I can bring our orders from the kitchen counter, if Millie'l let me."

Momo's hand took the occasion to slap her forehead. "How stupid of me, of course you'd prefer the outdoors!" She shook her head, ending with another ear twitch. "What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking about which area would be best…"

"Now that that's decided…" Momo said, plopping into a chair, "…we'll sit here." She saw Ryu's confused face and said, "Before I get started on which table to sit at. I'm getting hungry." She smiled up at Ryu and gestured to the chair across from her.

"Actually, let me grab us a couple of menus first," Ryu said as he held up an index finger. "Back in a minute."

"Okay."

When he returned a minute later, he found the engineer lost in thought. "What'cha thinking about?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed with a start. "Don't startle me like that! I was just…I…calculated the total surface area of the table, the maximum number of people that could comfortably sit at the table, and the best angle for the umbrella to shade the table for the most time." She pointed up at the umbrella. "Does that look right to you?"

Ryu blinked stupidly a couple of times before looking up. "I…guess so. I wouldn't know." His eyes widened. "I wasn't even gone a minute and you figured all that?"

Momo shrugged and looked down at the table as a flush crept into her cheeks. "I like to keep my mind busy."

"I guess." Ryu shook his head in wonder as he sat down and gave her a menu. "Here."

"Thanks."

After perusing the menus for several minutes, Ryu ordered a steak and Momo really wanted a salad. Ryu made mental notes of their orders before starting up the path to the main restaurant.

Momo went back to solving the mysteries of the universe. She turned in her seat so she could see the bartender at work, then adjusted her glasses. She had started to calculate the counter's surface area to determine the bartender's efficiency when she heard Ryu return.

"Hey, babe."

"Babe!? Ryu, are you…!" she trailed off as she discovered, to her embarrassment, that the voice's owner was not Ryu. She broke into a smile. "Franklin!"

The young man waved his fingers from where he reclined in the chair across from her. "Hey, Mo. Didn't mean to make you fuss." He stretched while looking around. "So what brings you out of your tower today, er, tonight?"

Momo squirmed slightly in her seat; Fortunately, Franklin didn't notice. "I'm having dinner with a friend that I haven't seen in a long time."

"Ryu, huh?"

"Yeah." She decided that it would be a very bad idea to relate the circumstances behind their get-together. "I haven't seen him in…a very long time."

Franklin smirked. "Haven't run the calculations yet, huh?"

She looked at him in mock-annoyance. "No, I haven't run the calculations yet."

Franklin's smirk softened to a genuine smile as he raised his hands in surrender. "All right, I'll stop teasing."

"Thank you. By the way, how are things progressing at the plant?"

Franklin's mouth twisted as he scratched at the back of his neck. "Okay, so far." He grimaced. "Dismantling Palet's machine was a bear, especially when we found a body inside." He watched as Momo slowly put her hand to her forehead, presumably in shock. "Yeah. Pretty gross. His mother, I take it?" She nodded. "Thought so. It's good, though. She got a proper burial, and…"

"Franklin! Good to see you!" Momo jumped and her eyes flew up to see Ryu returning.

Franklin rose from Ryu's chair to greet him. "Ryu! How's it going?"

"Good, good…"

The three of them talked about the Plant's renovation until Ryu's and Momo's orders were ready.

Franklin jumped from his chair first. "I'm on it. You guys wait here. I gotta go pretty soon, anyway. Be right back!"

He returned a few minutes later with a plate and a bowl. "Here ya go. You must be the carnivore." Before Ryu was placed a thick gravy-covered steak dominating one half of the plate. Fluffy whipped potato and steamed carrots fought for possession of the other half.

"And, the herbivore." Momo studied the meal placed before her. Crisp lettuce greeted her. Thin slices of tomato and strips of red cabbage peeked out from under several of the leaves. Tomato wedges had been expertly placed around the circumference of the salad so that they pointed toward the middle, where lay a generous helping of sesame seeds, croutons, and…

"What are these?" Momo asked, picking up a small red granule. She held it for Ryu and Franklin to see.

"Bacon bits!" Ryu exclaimed. "I should have ordered a salad!" Momo sent him a puzzled expression, which resulted in a quick explanation of the wonders of bacon.

Momo carefully put the granule in her mouth for analysis. One ear-wave and two blinks later, she nodded approvingly. "These are good." She looked up at Franklin. "Bacon bits."

Franklin nodded, a twist of an amused smile on his face. "Bacon bits," he repeated. "Oh and here's the dressing." He reached into one of the many utility pockets on his uniform and produced three bottles of salad dressing. "Raunch, Toe Cheese, and Hundred Islanders."  
  
"Ranch, Blue Cheese, and Thousand Island," Momo corrected. "Smart aleck."

Franklin shrugged his shoulders, amused smile still planted on. "I'm not much of a leaf-eater myself," he explained to Ryu.

"I see," Ryu replied, enjoying the show.

Franklin's smile froze when he heard Momo say, "Actually, I'm not typically partial to salads, but for some reason I felt like having one tonight."

Franklin looked at her with an expression of bewilderment. "Not typically partial to salads?"

It was Momo's turn to look puzzled. "Yeah, why?"

"Oh, no reason," Franklin replied, as he put his fingers to the sides of his head and traced outlines of rabbit ears.

"Knock it off, Franklin," she said with a shake of her head and an embarrassed smile. "You know I only have some of their features."

"Yeah, sure." Franklin's grin bordered on maniacal as he leaned partly down to gently elbow Ryu in the shoulder. "She ought to be good at science. You know what they say about rabbits and multiplication…"

Ryu started to ask what he meant, but the technician suddenly ran off as Momo bolted from her seat, ears pointed nearly straight back. "See ya later, Mo!" Franklin shouted from a safe distance.

"Hairless primate!" She shouted at him, face flushed. "I'll get you for that!" Franklin's fading laughter was his only response. She sat back down, huffing and shaking her head. "What a jerk."

"Are you okay, Momo?"

The engineer waved a dismissive hand. "I'm fine. That prepubescent Orc always knew how to get under my skin."

Ryu looked over his shoulder in the direction Franklin had departed. "Orc? He smelled human to me…"

"Never mind, Ryu. I meant it as an unflattering analogy." She said as she grabbed at her fork. Seeing Ryu's continuing confusion she said, "I'll explain later, okay? Meanwhile, your steak may be getting cold."

Ryu shook himself out of his train of thought and picked up his utensils, taking two bites before dropping his fork. "Oh! There's something we're supposed to do."

Momo looked up from her meal. "What?" she asked, as Ryu pulled out a piece of semi-crumpled paper. "Let me guess: 'Dating 101 by Nina Wyndia'?

Ryu chuckled softly. "Something like that."

Momo stuck her fork into a leafy green and left it there. "This should be good."

Ryu read part of the paper to himself. "Oops. I think we got ahead of ourselves. According to this," he waved the paper, "we're supposed to have a 'moment of awkward silence' before we eat."

"Dear me," Momo said, putting a hand to her chest. "And we certainly couldn't enjoy our meal without a dose of 'awkward silence', now could we?"

Ryu shook several times with silent laughter. "No, I guess not. I, for one, wouldn't want to anger her Highness, either."

The dragon and the engineer finally decided that the only way to have their 'awkward silence' was to each remember an embarrassing moment. So Momo thought of when she met Princess Nina for the first time. Ryu's most embarrassing memory was when he met Deis for the first time.

That didn't work, so they both looked in random directions for exactly one minute, then continued eating.

The early conversation was light, mainly reminiscing over their travels of four years prior with the team.

Ryu paused over his half-eaten meal. "Man, I haven't eaten this good in a long time," Ryu said, indicating the steak with his fork.

Momo finished her mouthful before asking, "Why? What's that man-cat making you eat?"

Ryu lowered his brow slightly. "Rei's not 'making' me eat anything. We're only eating fruits and nuts because the forest still hasn't recovered enough for a lot of hunting." Ryu leaned against the back of his chair. "Mayor McNeil is nice enough to sell Rei some meat when he gets it, but…" He leaned back towards his meal. "This is really good."

Momo took a moment to examine his plate. A steak, well-done, with a gravy made of its own juices. Momo determined the likely cooking temperature used for the meat, based on its overall color and thickness. "Not bad."

Ryu saw her staring at his plate. "You want a bite?" he offered. 

She blinked out of her reverie. "No, thanks." Momo regarded the bowl in front of her. "Actually…"

After she had her bite of steak and Ryu had a bite of bacon-bit laden lettuce they talked about the events since parting ways after the defeat of Myria.

Ryu and Rei had returned to the forest to rebuild the tree fort, partly in memory of Teepo, partly out of defiance of Balio and Sunder, the horse brothers that had destroyed it. When Shamus McNeil moved into McNeil Manor, Rei checked up on him to see if the new mayor planned to cause trouble. The Woren ended up causing more trouble than the young McNeil deserved, as he had turned out to be a fine mayor, a definite improvement over his predecessors. After the appropriate apologies, the men helped Shamus by assisting Bunyan with the planting of trees, keeping an eye out for poachers, and apprehending any would-be thieves.

"But I have to admit, sometimes I want to go out adventuring again," Ryu said, enjoying a moment of nostalgia.

Momo swallowed before nodding in agreement. "I know what you mean. I'd been a hermit in that tower for so long. It was nice to go out and do some good."

After returning from the desert she had made a beeline for her tower, Peco in tow, where she studied him to her heart's content. She learned that Peco's vocalizations were not a language per se, but a general expression of his mood. Finally the sprout had to give in to the calling, and left to become one of the Great Trees.

She had been studying some of the technology she managed to bring back from Myria's Station when she received the letter from Nina.

"I brought back a device that plays different kinds of music. From what I can tell, that's all it does," she said, finishing her salad.

Ryu raised his eyebrows as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Music? What kind of music?"

"I don't know, I'm no musician. Some of it is soft and soothing, some of it is just noise. Maybe your man-cat would recognize the noisy stuff."

Ryu ignored the 'dig' at his friend. He would never understand why those two didn't get along. "You mind if I come and listen to some of it?"

Momo blinked at him in surprise. "No, not at all. In fact, you can listen to some when we get back to the tower, if you wish."

"Sounds good," he said as they both stood to leave. Intercepting a look of disgust, he asked, "What?"

The engineer shook her head. "Nothing. I thought you were making a joke." She noticed that Ryu headed back to the road instead of the cashier. "Where're you going? We haven't paid yet."

"Millie said that Nina already covered it."

Momo mentally smacked herself. It made sense that if Nina made the arrangements that she would also pay for the meals.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ryu's voice. "…D'Lonzo?"

"Sorry?"

He smiled slightly. "I said 'Do you want to say 'hi' to D'Lonzo?'"

A grimace found its way to her face. "No thanks, I never did like her. You can visit her, if you wish." Momo had made it clear to the team on more than one occasion that she didn't approve of the thief's morals or manner of dress. Rei, of course, pointed out that it didn't stop the engineer from studying under her for a while, to which Momo would respond with a huff, a twitch of her ears, and a swift departure.

Ryu nodded in understanding. "Thanks Momo, I'll be quick."

Momo settled back into her seat as she watched him make his way up the path to the main restaurant.

No sooner was he out of sight than a deep voice resonated behind her. "Hey, good-lookin'"

She slowly turned in her seat and looked up, up at the large man that now stood before her. "Hello. Do you need something?"

"I jus' thod I'd come an' ssave you." The flush in the human's cheeks told her that he was definitely less than sober.

"From what?"

"Shtraight Man." The man barely succeeded in pointing up the hill where Ryu had departed. "Heesh too shtraight. You need shomeone more hexciting"

Momo reflexively calculated the amount of alcohol need to inebriate a man of his size. "I assume that you are referring to yourself?"

The stranger ignored her question, likely because he was too drunk to understand it. "I know thish place where we can spend some time…" he paused to take another breath, "…alone together." He tried to put on a lady-killing smile, but only succeeded in looking like a Bully with its teeth bared. "Sho whattya say?"

Momo smiled politely. "No thank you. I'll take my chances with…Straight Man." She remembered the newcomer's term to describe Ryu. "But it was… nice…meeting you."

She had almost turned around and settled in her seat, when she was suddenly and forcefully grabbed by the shoulder and turned back to face the man, nearly losing her spectacles in the process. "Hey girl, doncha know who I am?"

"No, I don't," she answered honestly, if shakily, as she readjusted her eyewear.

"My nname iss Roy, an' there isn't a woman alive who wouldn't give her virginity for a night with me." The guffaw that punctuated the end of his sentence reminded Momo somewhat of a donkey. "Well, maybe there wassh one…." She heard a chorus of raucous laughter from the area of another table, and determined that the group seated there had to be the drunk's friends.

The laughter quickly died down when Ryu made his way down the hill and back to the table. Roy straightened and tried to size up his opponent. He finally gave up when he couldn't get the two men to fuse into one.

As for Ryu, it didn't take long to figure out the bigger man's state. He remembered seeing it on the faces in all of the family paintings in the McNeil mansion early in his journey. He also knew it meant trouble. "Hey Momo." Ryu kept his voice even as he gestured to the glaring man. "Is this a friend of yours?"

Before Momo could speak, the man bellowed, "Hey ash-hole, my name'sh Roy, and the lady'zz coming with me" He grabbed Momo by the arm again and yanked her to her feet.

"But I'm with Ryu…" Momo tried to protest.

"Shut up! I'm talkin' to Straight MaAAAUGH" Roy bellowed when Ryu suddenly appeared next to him, snatching one of his fingers and bending it painfully backwards, causing him to break his grip on the engineer, who very quickly scrambled a short distance away to hide behind the bar counter.

From the relative safety of the bar, Momo watched in rapt attention as the remaining events played out before her.

Her friend still had the man by a single finger, preventing him from doing anything but kneel on the ground and use words she had never heard before. Roy's friends bolted from their table to help him, until Ryu held up a curled hand, raw energy snaking and crackling around it. Loyalty apparently didn't include facing a magic-user, as they ran for their lives, leaving Roy to his fate.

Ryu dissipated the energy and focused his attention back to Momo's would-be attacker. He let go of Roy's finger, only to grab him by the shirtfront and throw him to the ground. "Go sleep it off," he ordered.

From his place on the ground, Roy was already trying to figure out a counteroffensive, when the sudden smell of sulfur permeated the air. He looked up at 'Straight-Man's' face, one face thankfully, to see twin wisps of smoke curling from the young man's nostrils as his eyes started to take on an unearthly glow.

Roy suddenly realized his opponent was speaking to him. "…and don't bother her again," the young man said before glancing over at the girl.

Roy jumped and ran before Ryu could finish. "Unless she asks you to, that is," he said to Roy's rapidly retreating form. The now-nonsmoking dragon looked around for his friend but saw only the bartender, who gave him a friendly nod accompanied by an approving smile. "Good job, kid," he rumbled.

The glow left Ryu's eyes as quickly as his anger subsided. "Thanks. Have you seen my friend?" Ryu continued to look around.

"I'm here." Momo peeked through the half-door that separated the bar from the outdoors. "Is it over?"

"Yes, it's safe," Ryu said through a light chuckle. "Come on out."

She rose to her feet before leaving the counter area. "I ducked down as soon as I smelled sulfur. Did they have bombs or something like that?" Her scientific mind had returned.

Ryu opened his mouth to reply but the bartender beat him to it. "It was your boyfriend there. He started breathin' smoke, an' they turned all assholes and elbows outta here. Damnedest sight," he chuckled softly before reaching under the counter for something. "Here, kid. Y'ever need a job, Millie really needs a bouncer down here. I'll put in a good word for ya." He handed Ryu a card. "Free meal, next time you two come."

"Thanks." Ryu took the card and held it up to read. "I'll remember that."

Momo noticed that he held it upside down and sighed as she took it from him and put it in her carry bag. "I'll take care of it, Ryu."

"All right." He shook his arms as if to work out the last few minutes, and then looked at his friend. "Ready to go?"

She looked back to her seat, where she had just experienced the most stressful night of her life. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."


	3. Chapter Two

The pair took the return trip more slowly partly due to full stomachs, partly due to Momo's frazzled nerves.

The engineer busied herself with trying to figure out the exact point in their evening when things had started going wrong. Part of her thought that it was when she first received the letter from the princess. Another process considered the possibility that it was upon Ryu's arrival. Another possibility…

"I was just thinking, Momo…" Ryu's voice interrupted.

As always, Momo zeroed in on dialogue that involved any variation of the word 'thought'. She hustled slightly to catch up with him. "What?"

Ryu scratched the back of his neck, another habit he had picked up from Rei. "I'd have to talk to Nina to be sure, but I think that Wyndia is opening a new trade route."

"What makes you say that?" Momo asked, still amazed at how quickly he had recovered from the incident.

"Well, building an extra area for the outdoor café would cost money. So would putting a roof over the main restaurant. Millie would almost have to be certain that she'd get more business if she'd do something like that."

Momo nodded her head. "I see. She would likely hesitate before investing any sizable amount of resources without some guarantee of a profitable return."

"Yeah. What you said," Ryu gestured at her, barely restraining a smile.

She lowered her eyebrows at him as her ears twitched. "Are you going to start teasing me now?"

"No!" A look of dismay crossed Ryu's face. Then he lowered his eyes "Well, maybe I am teasing you a little. I'm sorry. I can't understand you when you talk like that. I don't mean to make fun of you, I just…I guess… it makes me kinda uncomfortable." He stopped and caught Momo's eyes when she did as well. "I wish I could understand…" he started, then changed tracks. "It must be tough being so smart when you have to explain everything to everyone around you." He blinked. "And now I think I understand why you and Rei don't get along."

Momo's eyes widened. She couldn't believe that someone actually understood her, even a little bit. She then experienced a rare sinking feeling. "Ryu, did… did anyone on the team think that I was looking down my proverbial nose at them?"

"Looking…down…?" His eyes narrowed…and then widened. "Oh! Well, I don't think so." He grinned sheepishly at her. "Not that I would have been able to tell at the time, anyway."

"I hope not," she said, her eyes downcast as she adjusted her spectacles, more out of habit than necessity. "I considered all of you my friends, even the man-c-" She quickly cut herself off. "Even Rei, I mean."

Ryu said nothing, but internally he released the breath that he had been holding for a very long time.

  


******************************************************

  
"Well, here we are," Ryu said, somewhat lamely, as they reached the door to Momo's workshop.

The awkwardness that followed may or may not have been on Nina's list, but it was present nonetheless.

"I had a good time, all things considered," Momo ears twitched slightly.

"You want to do this again tomorrow?" Ryu offered. "Hopefully without the drunks?"

The melody of Momo's rarely-heard laugh tickled Ryu's ears. "Sure. Without the drunks."

"Great. See you tomorrow." Ryu started to walk away, and then stopped abruptly. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

Momo stopped herself halfway through the doorway to turn toward him. "What is it?"

Ryu pulled a too-familiar piece of paper from his coat, an impish grin on his face. "This was too easy, so we're probably doing something wrong."

Momo instinctively began searching for possible outcomes to a date before realizing that she was out of her league. She smirked at the page. "Probably. What does Dame Nina say we should do to embarrass ourselves further?"

"Let's see…" Ryu scanned the page. "Here we go, the section titled 'At the Door'…"

Momo watched his expression as he read.

"Hey, we had an awkward moment without being told to!" Ryu shared a smile as he glanced at her over the page.

"Oooo! What's next?" Momo said, feigning excitement.

"According to this, we can do one or more of the following: Shake hands, hug or…" Ryu's eyes widened.

"Or what? Let me see that." She took the paper from him and found the section. "Shake hands, hug, or…KISS?!? She must be kidding!"

A quiet admission stunned her to silence. "Actually, I was hoping it would say that…"

"Huh?" Momo dropped the paper in surprise as she suddenly found herself in Ryu's arms, his eyes looking deeply into her widened ones. Fear mixed with anticipation tingled in her stomach. "Ryu, what are you doing?"

Ryu gently pushed her up against the wall so he could free a hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. "Something that I've wanted to do for a very long time." He leaned in closer, if that were possible, so that their lips nearly—

Momo bolted upright in her bed, eyes wide, hand over her racing heart, and breathing heavily. "That's not what happened!" she shouted at the wall across from her. "That didn't happen!!"

She slid out of bed onto unsteady legs and made her way over to the sink. She let the water warm, and then started rubbing it on her face, as though to wash the dream away. "Didn't happen like that…" she mumbled between rubs, starting to calm down.

When she finished, she dried her face and glared at herself in the mirror hung above the sink. "Okay, Momo, think. He did see you to the door. You did have an awkward moment." She thought for another moment. "Right. We did agree to a dinner tomorrow. He did consult the list. You did take the sheet from him. We did forget to listen to music. But he did not kiss you!" She stamped her foot with each word for added emphasis.

She sat down at her desk and opened the book she had been studying. "Did not…" She closed the book when she realized that she had turned several pages without actually reading. "Did not," she harrumphed before returning to bed, barely noticing an odd tingling in her stomach.

  


******************************************************

  
_Top-top-top-top-top-top-top-_

Rei couldn't take it anymore. His friend had been pacing in the other room for the last fifteen minutes, and it was starting to drive the Woren crazy.

Finally he gave up, sliding out of bed and into the main room. "What's eatin' you? I've never seen you like this before."

Ryu stopped pacing and faced his friend. "I don't know. One minute I'm ready to sleep, the next minute something's bugging me. It's like something at the back of my head."

"Mind," Rei corrected, crossing his arms. "Maybe it was the guy at the restaur-" Rei stopped himself to watch as Ryu's shoulders dropped slightly. "Everything better now?"

Ryu looked at the floor and sighed heavily. "Yeah. Weird. Like something was suddenly lifted off my shoulders."

Rei sniffed. "Well, now that that's done, can I go to sleep now?"

Ryu smiled as he shook his head. "Good night, Rei. Sorry to bother you."

"Mmmm-hmmm." Rei was already halfway back to his room.

  



	4. Chapter Three

Momo greeted the following evening with dark circles and a sour disposition. "I'm not prepared for this," she told Honey, who beeped twice in response. "But I made a commitment, and he'll be here any minute now."

Two dull rings from the door announced her friend's arrival. "Speak of the devil…" she said, then winced at her choice of words. "I'm coming, hold on…"

The sight on the other side of the door surprised her. To anyone who didn't know the dragon, nothing would seem unusual about the young man. Momo, on the other hand, did notice that Ryu slouched slightly, unusual because he normally carried himself with perfect posture. His face seemed to droop as well. It was as though he had just awakened. "Are you all right, Ryu?"

Ryu ran his fingers through his hair, stopping to scratch at his neck. "I didn't sleep well, something kept me up just long enough, I guess." He gestured toward her with his free hand. "How about you? You don't look too good, either."

Normally Momo would have taken offense to a comment like that, but she was too tired, and this was Ryu, Mr. Innocent Honesty himself. So she settled for "Thanks, I think." She self-consciously probed her dark circles with her fingers. "I didn't sleep very well, either. Come on in."

Ryu wordlessly entered her workshop. Momo shut the door, absently rubbing the back of her neck.

Ryu noticed her self-inflicted massage. "Hey."

Momo recovered from her distraction to look at Ryu. "What?"

"If you want to call tonight off, I'll understand." He smiled wryly. "After all, Nina didn't say we had to do this twice."

Momo chuckled softly as she started rubbing her neck again. "Thanks Ryu, but I'll be fine."

The dragon shook himself, and seemed to gain a sudden surge of energy. "Okay!" He offered her his arm, bent at the elbow. "Shall we go, then?"

Momo blinked, then broke out in a smile as she accepted the proffered arm. "Yes!"

Ryu didn't see her subtly pinch herself as they left the tower.

  


******************************************************

  
Ryu watched his friend pick at her food. "I thought you liked fish."

Momo jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and set her fork down. "Sorry." Regaining her composure she looked at him and said, "I have a lot on my mind."

"No kidding." He set his elbows on the table and rested his chin on clasped hands. "You want to talk about it?"

For one insane moment she considered telling him about her dream, but decided that telling him what he did to her might make him uncomfortable, not to mention apologetic. "No, thank you. I'll be okay."

Ryu unclasped his hands and reached across the table to take one of hers. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

The engineer froze, noticing only two things: One, the warm pressure of the dragon's hand on hers, and Two, an odd sensation in her stomach.

Ryu saw her stiffen. "Momo?"

Her face was blank, her voice monotone. "You're holding my hand."

He quickly withdrew the offending hand. "I'm sorry!" He watched his friend slowly relax again. "I didn't know…I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Momo looked into Ryu's regret-filled face and smiled slightly. "It's okay Ryu, I know you didn't mean any harm. I guess you surprised me." She paused. "I'm not used to being touched."

Ryu watched her squirm in her seat and suspected that there was more to the story than what she had told him, but kept his suspicions to himself. He would respect her, as he always had. "I'll be careful."

Momo vigorously shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Like I said…what?" she asked as she saw Ryu's eyes focus on something behind her.

She watched in surprise as he suddenly bolted from his chair to stand near her. "What do you want?" she heard him demand.

"Wait! I come in peace!" she heard a male voice reply. The voice sounded familiar…

"Stay away!" Ryu's voice replied. "I won't let you hurt her again!"

From her makeshift hiding place behind Ryu, Momo put two and two together and came up with 'Roy'. A glance around her friend's midsection proved her correct. "I think it's okay Ryu, he appears sober."

Ryu glanced down at her, and she caught a comet's tail of a glare. She would have hated to be on the receiving end of the full-blown version. "Are you sure Momo?"

Before she could answer, she heard Roy's voice. "Miss? I've come to say 'I'm sorry'."

Ryu looked at her one last time before returning to his seat, gesturing for the man to pull up another before crossing his arms.

Roy studied the wringing hands in his lap. "I…" He looked up at Momo. "This may be more than you want to hear, but after what I did…you deserve a damn good explanation." He punched a cupped hand for emphasis.

"I won't argue with that…" Ryu started.

"Quiet," Momo snapped at her friend. She softened as she turned her attention back to the very distraught Roy. "Go on."

"The…missus and I…kinda had a falling out last night, and I felt like the mayor of Loserville. I thought maybe hangin' with my friends would help. But…"

"…your friends brought you to this bar, got you drunk, and watched you make the proverbial ass out of yourself, resulting in an unsuccessful flirtation with me, and a bar fight with Ryu." Momo instinctively adjusted her spectacles.

Roy sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed for a moment before turning to Ryu. "She doesn't miss anything, does she?"

"No, she doesn't," Ryu agreed, relaxing his arms. "In fact, she's the smartest person in the world."

Momo's face reddened at the sudden and unexpected compliment. The odd sensation in her stomach also decided to make a repeat appearance. She glanced shyly at Ryu. "Thank you."

Roy shook his head in amazement. "Brains and beauty…WHOA!" He stood to run as Ryu suddenly moved toward him. "It was just a compliment!"

Ryu was about to throttle the man when Momo's voice stopped him. "Sit down, Ryu." To his surprise, he found himself obeying, wondering how she had done that.

"So, Roy…" She paused to structure the rest of her thought. "…how are you and the 'missus' doing now?"

Roy sighed, blowing air noisily between his lips while arching his eyebrows. "I dunno…yet. We're gonna see a priest to talk about our problems, see if we can fix them." He grinned sheepishly at her. "And I never drank much, but after last night, I'm never touching alcohol again!" The trio shared a friendly chuckle.

Ryu shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Roy, I…hope I didn't hurt you too badly."

"Not at all! Hell, even if you had, I had it coming anyway. In fact, I should thank you!" An expression of gratitude could be plainly seen on the man's face.

"Thank me?"

"Sure! See, I got to thinking, after I sobered up that is, about what was wrong with me, figured out a few things." He looked directly at Ryu. "I don't think that would have happened if you hadn't done what you did."

Ryu looked to Momo, then back to Roy, breaking out in an awkward grin. "You're welcome, I guess."

"Good." He looked back at Momo. "Forgiven?"

Momo extended a dainty hand. "Forgotten."

Roy suddenly looked as though a heavy weight had finally been removed. "Great!" He stood to leave. "I don't get to meet people like you two very often, if at all. See ya!"

As their new friend departed, Momo turned back to Ryu, blinking several times in analysis. "Wow. That's…never happened to me before."

"Me neither." Ryu agreed. "He's a good guy after all."

"Yeah…" Momo continued to muse. 

Ryu drummed his fingers on the table, then stopped, his face scrunched in confusion. "What's that?" He turned to look behind him.

"What's what?" Momo looked past him to see what he was referring to. "Oh, the band's warming up!" Smirking, she added. "The faeries aren't the only ones who can play."

"Oh, I know," Ryu replied, straight-faced. He stared at the group a moment longer, then smacked his forehead. "Of course! That's the group that King Wyndia hired to travel around and play." He turned and half-smiled at Momo. "Wanna dance?"

Momo opened and closed her mouth several times. "But…but you don't know how to dance…" She leaned forward, studying him. "Do you?"

Ryu's half-smile turned to a sheepish one. "Not very well. Nina taught me some ballroom stuff." He suddenly couldn't look her in the eye. "I made you uncomfortable again, didn't I?"

"Well, sort of." Momo shrugged her shoulders self-consciously. "What the heck, I don't get out much, and if we make fools of ourselves, well, we just won't come back here anytime soon!"

"All right," he chuckled. He rose from his seat and offered her his hand. "I'll try not to step on your toes."

"How reassuring," she teased, as she let him help her to her feet and lead her to the dancing floor.

"Let me see if they know any Wyndian ballroom pieces." He intercepted an amused look with one of his own. "Hey, it's all I know, okay?"

When Ryu returned, he found her staring intently at the floor. "How big is it?" he asked with an amused smile.

Her response was immediate. "Two-hundred and forty square feet." She looked up at Ryu and smiled self-consciously. "Give or take six square inches."

Ryu looked around in wonder, then back at Momo. "How do you do that?"

Momo's cheeks started to redden. "I…had a good teacher."

"No doubt." Ryu looked around again, apparently attempting the calculations himself.

Momo decided to save him potential embarrassment. "So do they?"

Ryu, still looking, furrowed his brow. "Do what…? Oh! Uh, yeah. Just one, though, they mainly play…play…" he snapped his fingers a few times. "Folk music!" He shook his head with a frown. "Looks like I need to get out more, or something."

Momo laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "It's okay, Ryu, you're willing to learn, that's what's important, right?"

Ryu nodded, a smile playing at his lips. "Yeah, that's true."

Momo withdrew the reassuring hand, only to bop him gently on the same arm. "And I'm willing to learn, which is a good thing, because you need to teach me how to ballroom dance."

Ryu smoothed his vest. "Right! Now first, you need…" He trailed off with a look of concern. "You know this means I have to touch you-- All right, all right, I just wanted to be sure!" he finished, throwing up defensive hands after receiving a dirty look.

It took several minutes and a few blushes, but Momo was a fast learner, as expected.

It didn't stop Ryu from being surprised, though. Pausing during a slower part of the piece, he commented, "Just so you know, you've picked up in ten minutes what took me a month to learn."

Momo's face showed genuine distress. "I'm sorry, Ryu…"

"No!" Ryu paused to twirl his partner. When they were face-to-face again he continued. "I just wish I could learn things half as fast as you."

"Well…" she waited until he finished his bow, "…the key, really, is to learn how to learn."

Ryu's face showed deep thought as his body continued through the motions of the dance. When the dance finished, he turned to his 'partner'. "Momo, could you…teach me how to learn?"

Momo was caught completely off-guard. "Well…I could…I mean…that is, I-I could probably…well, I'm not really…"

Ryu watched in concern as his friend verbally stumbled along.

"…see…m-maybe I should…" Her eyes finally settled on his, her face the picture of calm. "Yes, I don't see why not."

Ryu, still trying to figure out what had just happened, could only say, "Great! …I think."

The next tune started, and Ryu noticed the couples standing sound them. "We'd better give up the floor."

Momo nodded and allowed herself to be led back to their table.

Ryu sat and watched the other patrons dance to the bouncy tune, dreading the idea of taking another month to learn another style of dancing. Not that he had any need to, but the idea of taking a month to learn something and then have someone else learn it in no time flat bothered him.

It took Momo four taps to his arm to get his attention. "Okay, I think I've figured it out."

"What, the dance?"

"Yeah." She gestured toward the stage where the couples were starting the dance again. "See? Watch that one couple." Momo was definitely in her element, figuring something out and sharing it with someone else.

Ryu looked up to see a couple in the center of the stage, but back toward the band. "The one with the man with the green shirt and suspenders?"

Momo nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, and only watch them. If you try to watch all of them, you'll get confused. See? He bows to her as she curtsies, then they take hands, and…"

It took three explanations and three couples for Ryu to understand the pattern, but he finally understood. "Want to try it out?" he offered.

Momo's hand flew to her chest. "Try it…out?"

Ryu expression was pure innocence. "Sure, why not? You understand how it works, and I seem to get it, so why not?"

"W-well, okay…" She still wasn't sure of herself.

"Okay!" The young dragon took the engineer's hand and led her back to the dance floor.

**********

Several bows, curtsies, and foot-stomps later, Ryu and Momo applauded the band along with the rest of the crowd. A slower song started, and they looked around, confused, as the other couples put arms around waists, interlinked fingers, and held each other close.

Ryu was the first to speak. "I've seen ballroom dancing, I've seen folk dancing, but…this is new." He looked to his left. "Momo?"

The engineer adjusted her spectacles as she took in the…spectacle? "Sorry, I've never seen this before, either." She shifted uncomfortably. "It would be rude to return to our seats since the music has started, so…"

"My thoughts exactly," Ryu agreed, examining the men on the floor.

"O-okay, Ryu," Momo stammered, "p-put your arm around my waist like this." Ryu found his right arm around her slim waist, his hand resting on the small of her back, bringing them very close together. "A-and your other hand…"

"I-I see," Ryu interrupted, equally unnerved and trying to interlink his fingers with hers.

When they finally settled down, Ryu had one arm around her waist, and his other hand holding hers, the back of her hand to his chest. The hand he wasn't holding rested on his shoulder. "This is a little awkward." He swallowed hard while observing the other couples.

Momo nodded. "All…" she squeaked, then cleared her throat. "All they're doing is shifting their weight from foot to foot."

Ryu studied them a moment. "Hey, you're right."

They turned their heads to each other—and found themselves nearly nose-to-nose.

Ryu found himself unable to look away, as he became lost in the flame-colored eyes that looked back. Eyes full of curiosity, intelligence…

Momo found herself unable to look away, as she became lost in the ocean-blue eyes that looked back. Eyes full of strength, innocence…

Self-consciousness eventually won out, as they looked away in opposite directions. Simultaneous apologies turned to embarrassed chuckles.

"Ryu, we may as well make the best of it, right?" Momo adjusted her hold on his hand so she could rest her head on his chest. "Like I said, we don't have to come here again." He grunted an agreement, causing her to smile ruefully. "Wake me when the song's over, I'm tired." She closed her eyes and could hear the soft chuckle rumble through Ryu's chest.

"Before you conk out, Momo…" she heard Ryu say.

"What?" she asked. She then felt something tilting her face up and realized it was Ryu's hand.

"What's the matter?" she asked as she studied his expression.

"Nothing," he said—and then ducked his head toward hers.

Momo had no time to react as he gently pressed his lips to hers. Fear gripped her stomach, and she started to panic. But Ryu was insistent, not demanding, and she began to melt into the dual embrace…

When the young dragon finally relinquished her lips, a sudden sense of loss overcame her and she stumbled.

Ryu caught her before she could fall. "Momo! Are you all right?"

Momo put a hand to her forehead. "I think so. That…that was some kiss!"

Ryu looked completely lost. "What kiss? You suddenly stumbled, so I caught you." He looked at her eyes. "You look really tired. Did you fall asleep or something?"

"I think so," she repeated. "I…really need to sit down…"

Ryu helped his friend to her seat. Noting the empty water glasses he said, "I'll be right back." After making sure she wouldn't fall from the chair, he left.

Momo let her head fall back as she put her hand to her chest and said, "Please God, let him forget what I said…"

  



	5. Chapter Four

Ryu half-walked, half-dragged the exhausted engineer to the main door to her tower. "Some night, huh Momo?"

"Yeah," she replied sleepily. Looking through the doors to the stairs beyond she joked, "I don't think I have the strength to make it to my room."

"I think I can help with that," Ryu offered.

"What do you mean, Ry-ooooo!" Momo squealed as Ryu took her in his arms again, this time to gently caress her cheek with his own. "What are you doing?"

Warm air tickled her ear. "What does it feel like I'm doing, Momo?"

Momo would have pinched herself, but her remaining presence of mind had been leeched away by fatigue and the present and sudden stimulation. "Y-You're caressing my face w-with yours."

More warm air. "Do you want me to stop?" He continued to rub her face with his. "Momo?"

The poor girl couldn't answer, as she was busy realizing just how sensitive her cheeks were to touch. "Mmmmrrryyy-OOO!" She felt a soft but sudden pressure against the side of her neck and somehow knew he had just kissed her. "Oooo!" And again. Her breathing deepened as her heart began to race. "Ry-ooo! Ryu! I…can't…" Her eyes rolled back as her sense of touch was overwhelmed.

Her analytical mind came back online to note that something soft and cool had slipped under her blouse and was caressing the bare skin of her midriff. "Ryu…" The hand, she finally realized, began to travel slowly upward. "Please…No…"

She suddenly heard a strange but familiar voice. "What's the matter Momo?"

Momo opened her eyes and stared in horror.

"Isn't this what you've wanted?"

She screamed at the sight of her father standing in Ryu's place.

  
Momo tumbled out of bed, sobbing hysterically. "Leave me alone!" she screamed at nobody. Honey waddled over to try to console her, but was rejected as Momo curled into a fetal position and continued to cry tears of despair and hoplessness. She jumped as she heard a sudden pounding at her door. A friendly voice sounded faintly. "…me in…" She stumbled over to the door, nearly tripping over Honey, and managed to unlock and open it. Ryu charged through the doorway and tripped over Honey, landing flat on his face on the floor.

He managed to roll over and sit up in time to receive a lapful of hysterical engineer. "Ryu, you…he…and then…" Momo degenerated back into sobs.

Knowing that he had to do something, but not entirely sure what to do, he simply held his friend, who had curled up in his lap, her head resting against his chest. He realized that she had been crying for a while, judging by the messed-up hair and extremely warm and trembling body.

When her sobs finally quieted down, he decided to find out what happened. "Momo?" No answer. "Momo?" He leaned over to examine his friend's face.

Momo had fallen fast asleep.

  



	6. Chapter Five

Ryu awoke to the sound of a rhythmic chime to his left. Looking toward the source, he saw Honey standing beside him, displaying the time. "Nine-o-clock," he mused before looking down at the sleeping form in his lap. "Quiet, Honey," he whispered. The little robot promptly cancelled the alarm. "We should let her sleep." He considered his friend again. "As long as she needs to." Ryu tried to stretch but the wall behind him made things difficult. He had scooted back to it during the night to have something to rest against. It helped him then, but it sure wasn't helping him now. Trying to hold the sleeping woman at the same time didn't help either.

He looked down at Momo and wondered when she was going to wake up. As he did, he noticed the odor of her hair. "Nice smell," he observed. Momo worked with oil and grease and metal; As a result, her hair had an earthy smell to it. He observed the way her long red hair, now unbraided, cascaded in waves down her back, her shoulders, gently brushed against her face. He wrapped his arms more tightly around her in response to a sudden protective feeling. "Roy's right, brains and beauty…."

She began to stir, the moaning sounds of awakening escaping her throat. "Mmmm…" She tried to stretch, and nearly head-butted Ryu in the chin. "Mmmm…"

"Good morning," Ryu said softly.

The engineer froze. Where was she and who was holding her? She quickly leaned away and sat up to look into Ryu's concerned face. Her chest started heaving again as she remembered the previous night's events. The dream, Ryu…

Ryu could see Momo trying to fight back tears. "It's okay, Momo…" he tried to reassure her.

Momo still looked at him with frightened eyes. "You're…not a dream…right?"

"Not as far as I know."

Momo pinched herself, then relaxed. "Okay, I'm really here, you're really here…" she noticed where she sat, "…and your legs are probably asleep."

"No, I'm fine," Ryu replied. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Momo's eyes widened again. "I…I can't…talk about it right now…okay?"

Ryu nodded. "Okay." He watched as Momo stood from his lap. "Cute PJ's, by the way."

Momo smoothed a blue background with white bunnies before blushing. "Thanks."

Ryu stood, dusting off the back of his pants, then noticed the doorway. "Ooo. Sorry about your door."

"What about my door – Oh, my!"

The doorway to her room had been pushed several inches inward, crumbling the stone around it.

They both stared a full minute before Ryu found his voice again. "I…didn't mean to do that."

  


******************************************************

  
It was early evening by the time Ryu returned to the treehouse he and Rei shared. He rubbed his neck as he made his way up the walkway to the front door.

Rei was there to greet him.

"What the hell's the matter with you, Ryu!" He yelled as they entered the fort. "Wakin' up yellin' in the middle of the night, scarin' the hell out of me! Then taking off like a bat outta hell!"

"Sorry, Rei…"

"Sorry, my ass!" Rei knew he sounded like a mother hen, but didn't care. "First, you stomp around the house with something eatin' you, then you pull this." He glared at his friend. "So where were you, anyway?"

"Momo's tower."

The Woren blinked. "Momo? Why there?"

Ryu finally snapped and stomped around the room, waving his arms. "I don't know, okay? One minute I'm sleeping peacefully, the next I'm scared, and the next I…felt like I had to go to her tower!"

Rei took a step back. He had never seen Ryu this angry since having to fight Teepo in Myria's fortress. "Was she…okay?"

"No! She was crying! Really hard! I didn't know what to do, so I…" He shook his head still trying to understand a concept foreign to him. "…I just held her. She calmed down really quickly after that."

Rei calmed down enough to digest the new tidbit of information. "Wow…Doesn't that just beat all…" A sly smile grew across his face. "Doesn't that just beat all…"

"Look, I'm sorry Rei, I didn't mean to…" Ryu noticed his friend's contemplative state. "What?"

Rei looked up quickly. "Hmmm? Oh, nothing important. Oh, and it's cool, Ryu." He clapped a hand on Ryu's shoulder. "I think I understand."

"Understand what?"

Rei grinned lopsidedly. "That's for you to find out yourself."

Ryu blinked a couple of times. "O-okay. Anyway, Momo asked me to stay at her tower for a while. Said she needs the company, and she has a couple of things she wants me to do for her."

"I'll bet," Rei said without irony. "Did she ask if she could study you?"

"Yeah. How did you-" Ryu remembered who they were talking about. "Never mind."

"Okey-dokey." Rei gestured to Ryu's bedroom. "Need some help packing?"

"Thanks," Ryu replied as he pulled out a travel bag.

  


*****************

  
Ryu was never one to collect 'stuff', and it showed. By the time he was through packing, he had managed to nearly fill one sheepskin bag.

"Man, you don't have much, do you?" Rei jibed.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't need your help after all." Ryu smirked as he one-armed the bag over his shoulder. "Well, I guess that's it." His smirk faded to a frown. "But I feel like I'm forgetting something…"

"Bet you left it at Momo's place," Rei offered, grinning again.

Ryu didn't notice Rei's facial contortions. "Yeah, that could be…" He headed toward the front door. "Well, I don't know when I'll be back. She didn't say how long she'd need me."

Rei nearly burst out laughing. Nearly biting his tongue he said, "Don't worry, I'll hold down the fort."

Ryu nodded with a smile, then turned and ran at full speed to the end of the first section of the walkway. As he reached the end, he began to emit a bright glow. The glow angled upward from the walkway and faded to reveal Ryu in one of his many serpentine forms.

Rei watched the dragon until it disappeared over the horizon.

"Yeah, buddy, you're just what she needs…"


	7. Chapter Six

Ryu stepped through the ruined doorway back into Momo's workroom. "I'm baaaaaack!" He saw Momo, clad in her engineer's outfit again, across the room working on something at her worktable. "Momo?" As he approached his friend, he could hear her mumbling something, presumably to herself. He stopped beside her, where he could also see that she was rearranging the things on her worktable. Repeatedly.

Momo seemed lost in her train of thought, so Ryu looked down at Honey to see if the little machine could give him any answers. Honey blinked a light twice then turned and tugged on Momo's robe. Almost reflexively, the scientist turned, picked up Honey, then put her up on a shelf, safely stored. All the while Momo still seemed to ignore Ryu, content with her mumbling.

Ryu looked up at a rapidly blinking Honey, then back to Momo. "Momo, I-"

Momo whirled on him and grabbed the front of his jacket. "Ryu I'm sorry but I can't figure out what's going on I mean what's wrong with me See I've been having weird dreams with you in them where you're kissing me or touching me in other ways that a man touches a woman." Breath. "And then I had this really really weird one where you were touching me in a way that you shouldn't and then you became my father and that really scared me and I'm just so confused so I was hoping that you would help me with something."

Ryu's nose traced circles in the air as he tried to process everything that Momo said. He finally gave up. "Momo, I only caught about half of what you just said, but…what do you want me to help you with?"

The engineer breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled shyly.

  


*****************

  
Ryu looked around the library in disbelief. "All of them?"

"All of them," Momo replied, nodding.

Ryu walked over to a shelf and withdrew a random magazine. Looking at the cover, he saw a woman dressed in what appeared to be only her underwear. The expression on her face looked to be somewhere between pain and pleasure. He quickly re-shelved the magazine, then turned back to Momo with pinked ears. "Can we start now? These books are making me sick."

Momo nodded again. "Good. I was hoping you'd want to start." She stepped over next to Ryu and removed an entire row of magazines.

Ryu stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "How…I…You're really strong, Momo!"

Momo blushed furiously and nearly lost her grip on her stack. "Thank you, Ryu. I guess carrying the cannon around paid off in more ways than one."

"I guess," Ryu mused as he hesitantly reached for a row of books. "I almost feel dirty just touching these things."

Momo, already on her way out, called, "Well, the faster we get these outside, the less time we'll have to touch them, right?"

Ryu grinned at the doorway through which she had departed. "Right."

  


*****************

  
"Is that the last of them?" Momo asked as Ryu grunted his armload onto the book-and-magazine pile. "Here, let me help. You shouldn't have tried to carry so many like this."

"I wanted…to get it done…like you said."

Momo sighed in mild exasperation. "Well you didn't need to overdo it to do it," she retorted as she took half the books and threw them on the pile.

Ryu took a moment to catch his breath, studying the pile as he did so. In any of his serpentine forms, carrying the books outside would not have posed a problem. The laws of mass, however, dictated that his human form would be nowhere near as strong.

He nodded toward the pile of books and chuckled softly. "Looks like a burn pile, in a way."

"It is."

Ryu looked over to his friend, who stared at the pile with what appeared to be disgust. "Momo?"

She looked at Ryu, and her expression changed to one of sadness. She pointed at the pile of books and magazines, not taking her eyes off of his. "Ryu…would you burn these for me?"

Ryu looked from Momo's eyes to the newly-christened burn pile, then back. "Are you sure?"

She hesitated for but a moment, then lowered her arm. "No, but I think it needs to be done anyway."

Ryu looked into her eyes as though to search for answers to his many questions. All he found was a maelstrom of unrecognizable emotions. "All right," he said, nodding.

He walked over to the pile and studied it for a moment. He wondered what memories he was about to destroy. He looked over his shoulder at Momo, who simply nodded again. "You'll want to stand back farther," he told her. After she obliged, he returned his attention to the pile again.

Momo watched as her friend began to glow with an intense light, such that she had to hold an arm over her eyes. She had been witness to his transformations before, but the brightness was something she would never adjust to.

When the glow faded, she lowered her arm to see a large scarlet-hued dragon standing where the young man had just seconds before. Momo found herself unconsciously taking another step back before she remembered that this was Ryu. She stepped forward again.

Ryu appeared to be testing his 'new' form, twisting his neck this way and that and stomping a couple of times.

Momo decided to take a chance. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The triangular head at the end of a sleek neck swiveled to face her, unnerving her slightly. The head bobbed up and down in an attempt at a nod, eliciting a giggle from the engineer. Then it swiveled back to the book pile.

Ryu measured two more steps away, reared his head back then forward. A jet of flame billowed from his open jaws, incinerating many of the books instantly, and setting the remaining books aflame. Apparently satisfied, Ryu 'humphed' then pulled his head back. Another glow signified another transformation. Within moments, Ryu returned to his human form.

He made his way over to Momo and studied her face as she watched the books burn. "Is that what you wanted, Momo?"

She said nothing, but nodded as tears began to stream down her face. Ryu stepped closer to her to see if he could do anything, when she suddenly turned toward him, pressing herself against him. But never taking her eyes off of the fire.

Though surprised, Ryu still had enough presence of mind to carefully wrap his arms around his friend, holding her.

"Glad I could help…" he whispered. 


	8. Chapter Seven

"I don't get it." Ryu stood cross-armed and watched Momo pack for the second time in two weeks. "We just got back from McNeil, and you're going back again?"

Momo placed another engineer outfit in her bag. "I'm sorry, Ryu. I thought that your presence here would alleviate my distress, which it has to a degree, but I need to talk to someone who can help me understand what my problem is."

Ryu sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Yeah, I know, I can't help you with that stuff. Feelings. Not the same as burning a pile of books." He made his way over to where she packed. "I don't understand why I can't stay there with you, though. I mean, I heard you say something about me being a distraction, but I don't understand."

Momo placed a blouse in the bag, then paused. She straightened to face her concerned friend. "I don't understand, either. That's part of the problem, and I'm hoping that talking to her will help."

Ryu scratched the back of his neck. "Okay… I still don't get it, but… I guess I'll visit Rei while you're…talking." Ryu fumbled for diplomacy before shrugging with a sheepish grin. "At least I'll be able to walk you there, make sure you're safe."

Momo smiled at him with a slight flush to her cheeks. "Actually…could we try something…?"

Ryu cocked his head with a puzzled expression. "Try what?"

  


******************************************************

  
"This is amazing!" Momo exclaimed as she peered over the side of Ryu's neck. "Everything looks so small!"

Ryu had to settle for smiling inwardly since his current form didn't allow for much in the way of mouth movement. He couldn't help but notice that Momo's typical scientific mind had been replaced by a child's wonder.

"Hey, there's the Arena!" Momo pointed off to their left.

She almost lost her grip when a voice sounded in her head. _Remember Balio and Sunder?_

"Ryu? Is that you?"

_Yeah._

Momo blinked several times. "Wow. You're amazing. Now I really want to study you-" Momo cut herself off as she realized how she sounded. "I'm sorry Ryu, I didn't mean to treat you like a-"

_It's okay, Momo_. The engineer found it strange to hear Ryu's voice without seeing a mouth move. _I'm not hurt._

"Good," Momo said with relief. "Oh! Balio and Sunder, I almost forgot!" She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, I remember them. Jerks, no- bullies, that's what they were, picking on you and Nina like that."

_They picked on you, too._

"Only after Palet set me up," she countered.

_Oh yeah._ Ryu banked slightly to the left. _Hang on, we're coming up on McNeil._

"Gotcha," Momo replied, and, matching action to words, held onto his neck more tightly.

  


******************************************************

  
"Dragon!" Hartz yelled. "Anti-air units to position!"

McNeil's newly-formed and yet-to-be-named defense force jumped into action, forming a battle line around the section of town nearest to the approaching dragon.

"Raise!"

The archers knelt and raised their bows, arrows pointing just ahead of the flyer.

"What's going on!" Shamus demanded breathlessly, having just run from the mansion with Nina.

Hartz pointed to the light-blue figure in the sky. "Unknown flyer, sir. Please stay back."

Shamus looked to his wife. "Nina?"

Having superior vision due to her heritage, Nina was able to study the dragon in more detail. "That's Ryu!" she exclaimed. "And Momo's on his back!"

Shamus quickly addressed his general. "Stand down."

"Stand down!" Hartz barked at his men. "All units, stand down!"

Ryu landed just as the last of the archers left to return home. Momo slid off of his back.

"Momo!" Nina ran to embrace her friend, then held her at arm's length. "It's wonderful to see you both again, but…back so soon?"

"Yeah." Momo adjusted her spectacles. "I apologize for visiting unannounced, but…"

"But what? Momo, what's wrong?" Nina looked to a now-human Ryu. "Ryu?"

Ryu spread his hands. "She said she wanted to talk to you, and-urk!" he squawked as Shamus took him by the back of the collar and started walking away.

"Come on, Ryu. We haven't spoken in a while." Shamus turned to send a wink to Nina as he departed with Ryu.

Nina smiled softly before returning her attention to the woman in front of her. "Goodness, Momo! That's quite a blush!"

"I'm not blushing," Momo insisted, face nearly the color of her hair.

Nina gently took her friend by the arm. "Yes you are, but that's okay." She gestured toward the mansion. "Tea?"

Momo nodded curtly. "Yes, thank you."

  


******************************************************

  
"OW!" Ryu rubbed at his throat and glared at Shamus. "What was that for?"

Shamus simply shook his head. "I had to get you out of there before you made things worse."

Ryu added confusion to his glare. "Worse? What do you mean?"

Shamus pointed at the women as they entered McNeil mansion. "Momo."

"What about her?"

Shamus sighed and crossed his arms. "You embarrassed her." Ryu's expression didn't change. "You said too much."

Ryu stopped rubbing his throat. "Too much? I don't understand."

Shamus studied Ryu for a moment. "Your innocence is…a mixed blessing, isn't it?"

That question Ryu understood. "Yeah, sometimes. Why?"

Shamus gestured to a nearby set of table and chairs. "Have a seat, buddy."

Ryu sat, still confused.

Shamus leaned back in his chair. "Ryu…Momo should have…no, that's not right…" He rubbed the back of his neck, then leaned forward. "Ryu, Momo needed to be the one to tell Nina that she needed to talk."

"I don't get it."

The mayor of McNeil sighed heavily. "If I'm right, Momo has something weighing…heavily on her mind."

"That's how it looks to me," Ryu agreed.

Shamus nodded confidently. "Sometimes part of the… healing process is telling someone else that you need help."

Ryu nodded thoughtfully. "And she may have needed that, huh?" He switched from nodding to shaking. "Man, I can be a jerk."

Shamus chuckled. "As long as she knows that it's not intentional, she shouldn't have a problem forgiving you." He gestured toward the house. "Tea? Nina and I are somewhat addicted. All her fault, of course."

It was Ryu's turn to chuckle. "No, thank you. Momo doesn't want me around while she talks to Nina, so I'm going to go visit Rei for a while."

"Indeed?"

"Yeah, something about me being a 'distraction' or something. I didn't quite understand what she meant." Ryu rose to his feet. "Anyway, I gotta go."

Shamus accompanied Ryu to the edge of town nearest the forest, stopping him by the entrance arch. "Ryu?"

Ryu turned toward the mayor. "Yeah?"

Shamus placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I doubt Momo understands what she meant."

Ryu thought hard about that all the way to the tree fort.

  


******************************************************

  
Nina watched from her cushion as Momo stood next to a window and stared out. "Momo?"

No answer.

"Momo?"

Still no answer.

Nina wrinkled her nose as she stood. "What has you so captivated?" She walked over to stand next to the scientist and tried to see where she was looking. "The edge of town?"

Momo nodded gently, once.

"What's over there…? Oh, there's Shamus and, Ryu…" she trailed off as she noticed a change in Momo's expression. "Did Ryu hurt you?"

Momo shook her head as she watched Ryu leave McNeil. "No."

Nina reached out and carefully held her friend's hand. "Then what is it?"

Momo finally looked over at Nina, who was surprised by the…lost expression on the engineer's face.

"I don't know, Nina." Momo released the princess' hand so she could cover her face. "I don't know."

Nina took Momo by the arm and led her over to the cushions, settling Momo into one before taking her own again. She drew her knees up to wrap her arms around them and look sideways at her distressed friend. Momo would talk when she was ready, Nina knew that. However… "Forgive me if this sounds like a selfish question, but… Are you still angry with me for asking him to help you?"

Momo lowered her hands and fell back onto her cushion, already nearly drained. "No, but I'm not real happy with you for not asking me, but we've already settled that." She took a deep breath. "I've been having dreams, Nina."

Nina blinked. "What kind of dreams?" She found it interesting that Momo's cheeks reddened at the question. "If you don't mind my asking…"

Momo waved a hand. "No, it's okay. This is what I needed to talk to you about."

Nina reached out and patted her friend's knee. "Whenever you're ready, Momo."

Momo took a deep breath and released it. "Here goes. After our fist 'date'…"

Nina sat wide-eyed as Momo told her about their first fictitious arrival at Momo's tower, the incident on the dance floor and…

"…your father?" Nina let her arms drop, and her legs settled into the cushion.

Momo, still unable to look Nina in the eye, nodded toward the ceiling. She suddenly covered her face again, her chest heaving. "That's…why…books…"

Nina patiently waited until Momo calmed down enough. "What about the books?"

A voice finally emerged from the hands. "My father… My mother…"

Nina managed to keep up with the change in topic. "What about your parents?" she asked softly.

Momo removed her hands from her face to stare at the ceiling again. "You know my mother died when I was really young, right?"

Nina nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. Yes, I remember you told us about that."

"Did I ever tell you that I look a lot like my mother?"

Nina's expression brightened. "Really? Wow, that's great! Your mother must have been a very beautiful wom-" Nina stopped herself, her face falling as the implications sank in. "Oh, no…he didn't…"

Momo shook her head vigorously, angrily. "No! My father was a great man! A great man!" She took several deep breaths before continuing. "I think the reason he bought all of the dirty books…was so…was so…so he…wouldn't give in…" Momo could no longer hold back the tears, and they streamed down her face to fall to the cushion. She looked over at Nina, who sat in a sort of numbed shock. "He was a great man, Nina."

"I guess-" Nina tried to push through a constricted throat. "I guess in that situation, he did the best he could…"

Momo returned her eyes to the ceiling. "I'm proud of him…but I'm ashamed of him."

Nina slid over to hold her friend. "It must have been tough for you."

"He taught me about machines, and numbers, and stuff. But when I started to… you know, 'grow up'…"

"He looked at you in the way that he looked at your mother?" Nina received her answer in the form of a nod. "Do the books have something to do with this?"

Momo pulled away from Nina and looked at her with reddened eyes. "I had Ryu burn my father's dirty books."

Nina wasn't sure what to feel at the moment: Happy for Momo, or equally sad? So she asked Momo what she felt.

"I don't know. A little of both, I suppose. Those books were all I had to remember him by." Momo gently pinched the bridge of her nose. "At least of the tangible things."

"I see." Nina carefully considered her next question. "What does Ryu have to do with this?"

Momo began to squirm. "Sometimes he looks at me kinda the way the father did when he…when I…" she looked meaningfully at Nina.

"Are you talking about the way a man looks at a woman?"

Momo squirmed in confirmation.

Nina managed to suppress a smile. "Does that bother you?"

Momo suddenly sat upright, her ears straight back. "Yes!" She blinked "I mean, no!" She slumped. "I don't know…"

After a while, she lifted her head again. "I like it, but at the same time, I feel like I shouldn't…"

"Does he know that he's making you uncomfortable?"

Momo shook her head. "I doubt it. He's made me uncomfortable before, and it seemed like he'd run himself through with his sword if given the chance."

"That's our Ryu." Nina giggled.

Momo chuckled as her eyes focused on a memory. "At one of the dinners…"

Nina's eyebrows raised. "One of? As in, there was more than one?"

"…he took my hand. To comfort me, I think. When he found out that it made me uncomfortable, he couldn't look me in the eye for ten minutes."

Nina giggled again, then took a chance. "You said that you fell asleep while dancing. What kind of dance?"

Momo squirmed again. "A slow…romantic piece, I think."

Nina bit back laughter of the joyous variety. "Did…did you enjoy it?"

"I…think so." Momo studied her hands in her lap. "I was already pretty tired from ballroom dancing…"

"Ballroom?"

"…and some kind of folk, I don't know."

"Did Ryu enjoy it?"

Momo shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. He seemed to. He seemed really uncomfortable during the…slower piece." Another squirm worked its way in. "We…looked each other…in the…eye…andwebothseemedtogettheheebiejeebies."

Nina giggled in empathy. "I can imagine." She adjusted her position on the cushion as she chose her next words. "Momo, I have a theory…"

The scientist sat up straight as her ears perked up at the terminology. "Indeed?"

Nina sat up as proper as she could on the plush cushion. "I would suggest that Ryu is attracted to you, but he himself is not aware of it, as he lacks the proper frame of reference for his feelings."

Momo adjusted her spectacles though her eyes were lost in the analytical process. "Attracted? Fascinating."

Nina secretly loved seeing Momo in her present state. And a little envious. "Further, I would suggest that even if he were to realize his feelings toward you, he would be too gentlemanly to indicate as much due to his knowledge of your discomfort."

Momo nodded. "That is logical."

Nina fell back into her cushion, her head slightly throbbing. "So, it's up to you, Momo."

Momo blinked out of her apparent trance. "Huh?"

"I said 'It's up to you'. How do you feel about him, Momo?" Nina spread her hands. "You have some thinking to do. You know your past. You have an idea of how he is and how he may feel. It's up to you, now."

Both women jumped when the door clicked open. Shamus stuck his head around the end. "Sorry to interrupt, Princess. I have a meeting early in the morning, so I need to turn in."

Nina waved at her husband. "I'll see you in a few minutes." As the door closed, she turned back to Momo. "As always, you're welcome to stay as long as you wish." She rose to her feet and began to collect the tea set. "Forgive me, but I must sleep now myself." She angled her head. "Will you be okay?"

"Would it be alright for me to sleep here?" Momo asked, indicating the floor cushions.

Nina blinked twice. "I…suppose so."

Momo looked down at the floor again. "I'm just not used to fancy beds and houses…" She traced a circle on the floor with a finger.

Nina smiled softly. "Good night, Momo."

Momo looked up and returned the smile. "Good night, Nina. Thank you."

After Nina dimmed the lights and left the room, Momo lay back across the cushions.

Attracted? She had never known anyone to be attracted to her.

Soon sleep overcame her, a peaceful sleep.

She did dream, however. Of machines and goddesses and dragons.

But mostly dragons.

  
_Work in progress, please stand by…_


	9. Chapter Eight

Ryu sat up from the dilapidated couch where he had napped and gave a nice long _steee-retch_, working out the kinks from both the hunt and from trying to sleep on the sagging piece of furniture.

He finally made it to his feet and moved to the nearest window to check the time. "Almost evening," he noted. "Wonder where those two are now?"

Ryu had been in charge of the tree fort since morning, when Rei and his new 'friend' Tai left to guard another caravan from McNeil to Wynidia. Corn, this time, a larger crop than usual.

He had started to think about where his friend's relationship was headed when the front door opened, and Rei and Tai stomped in, laughing up a storm.

The mirth was contagious, and Ryu chuckled as well. "What's so funny, guys?"

"Oh, hey Ryu!" Rei stifled a few snorts. "On the way back from Wyndia, there was this…" Tai suddenly whapped him on the arm, and Rei blinked, a goofy smile on his face. "Naw, I'd better not." He made his way over to Ryu and put his arm around his shoulders. "Well, buddy, it's time for you to go."

"Go? Why?"

Rei dropped his arm, looked meaningfully at Ryu, then over at Tai, then back.

Ryu had 'clueless' stamped on his forehead. "Okay, I see Tai. How are you?"

Tai smiled shyly. "I'm wonderful." She somehow turned the 'r' into a purr of sorts.

Rei noticed Ryu's continued confusion. "Ryu, remember the agreement? That if either of us got hitched, the other would move out."

Ryu blinked, then pointed at Rei, then Tai, and back. "You mean…" At the sight of his friends' smiles, he broke into one of his own. "Hey! Congratulations! When?"

"On the way back from Wyndia." Tai glided over next to Rei and put her arm around his waist. "Or maybe it was on the way over, doesn't matter."

"Nope," Rei agreed, beaming.

Ryu's face fell as he remembered what the arrangement meant.

"I'm homeless!"

  


*****************

  
"Well, I think that's everything!" Tai exclaimed triumphantly as she tied up the last knapsack. The only knapsack. "Wow, you don't have much, do you?"

A forlorn Ryu groaned at the memory of another time, in roughly the same place, when he had heard that line. "No, I don't…"

"Isn't this great, Ryu? Now you have the chance you've wanted for a long time…"

"To what?" Ryu whined.

Tai spread her arms. "To travel! To journey again. Rei's told me about the times that you've wished you could go out and see more of the world-"

"I don't want to travel," Ryu interrupted, surprised at his own reaction.

Tai dropped her arms. "You don't?" she took a step closer and lowered her voice. "What do you want, Ryu?"

Ryu swallowed hard as the areas of his face that didn't flush, paled. "I…I don't know…"

Tai cocked her head with a knowing smile. Rei had told her a few things. "I think I do…"

Ryu suddenly stepped forward, taking hold of her shoulders with a near-iron grip. "Please, Tai, tell me! I haven't felt right for what seems like forever, now! Am I sick? Do I need to see a doctor? Do I need to visit Ladon? What?"

Tai's smile softened as she settled her hands over Ryu's. "This is something you'll have to understand on your own. No, you're not sick, and you don't need to visit anyone, except…" She quickly covered her mouth. "…oops, almost spilled the beans."

Tai lowered Ryu's hands from her shoulders to place one of hers on his chest. "What you need to do, Ryu, is listen to this."

Ryu looked down at his chest with a frown. "My heartbeat?"

Tai tried not to roll her eyes. "Take out the 'beat'."

Ryu looked up at her. "My heart?"

Tai nodded once, slowly.

Ryu raised his head. "I don't understand…"

"…and that's why you need to travel," came a voice from the doorway.

Ryu looked over to see Rei leaning against the doorway. "Rei?"

Rei shook his head, his eyes locked on his mate. "Kitten, every day you find new ways to amaze me."

Tai ducked her head with a blush. "Thank you."

Rei turned his full attention on Ryu. "Buddy, the last time you were 'out there' it was to find out what you were and where you came from." Rei grimaced. "Man, I suck at this stuff. Anyhoo… At some point, we all need to find out what we're supposed to be doing…why we're here…"

"Our place in the world," Tai suggested.

"Yeah!" Rei gestured at Tai. "What she said! Anyway, I found out that my place is with Tai. Yours…who knows?" Rei shrugged. "That's what you have to find out, now."

"I still don't understand…"

Tai took Ryu by the arm. "You'll find out eventually once you get out there." She seemed to be enjoying the situation as she picked up Ryu's pack and handed it to him with a smile. She then began leading him to the front door. "Go find your place, Ryu," she said happily. "And don't forget to write!" She opened the door and gently but firmly pushed Ryu through.

Ryu stumbled outside and turned to see Rei and Tai at the door to their 'new' home.

His old home.

Ryu smiled weakly as he gave a half-hearted wave. Turning to leave, he realized that he needed this. He needed to leave the safety of the familiar and find…

"Find my place…" he realized.

Tossing his bag onto his shoulder, he headed for McNeil, and beyond…

To his future.

  


******************************************************

  
"Thank you again, Nina," said Momo, as they reached the entrance to McNeil, the same one Ryu had departed through a week prior. "You too, Shamus. I hope I wasn't a bother."

The mayor of McNeil shook his head with a smile. "Not at all, Momo. Our doors are always open for you."

Nina took her friend into a fierce hug. "You take care now, Momo."

Momo returned the hug. "I will, you too."

Momo watched as Nina stepped back next to Shamus, who put his arm around her, and felt a longing.

Momo smiled weakly as she gave a half-hearted wave. Turning to leave, she realized that she wanted that. She needed the safety, the closeness, of companionship.

"I want that…" she realized.

Heaving her bag over her shoulder, she headed for the forest…

To her future. 


	10. Chapter Nine

"What a bother!" Momo huffed as she headed down the road back toward home. "Oh well, at least it wasn't too out of the way."

She had arrived at the tree fort only to find out that Rei and Tai had kicked him out. Tai hadn't known that Momo was supposed to meet Ryu there, but Rei…

"Stupid man-cat," she growled. "All it takes for him to forget everything is the sight of a pus-" She slapped her hand over her mouth at the unintended near double-meaning. "Never mind that," she scolded herself.

She started to think about how best to find Ryu, and how to…talk to him when she did. "What am I supposed to say? 'You love me, don't you?'" She nearly snorted trying to contain her laughter.

She was so engrossed in her train of thought that she didn't notice the man standing in the road until she ran into him. Literally.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed to the young man, who had suddenly found himself seated in the road. "I guess I wasn't watching where I was going, and…" She trailed off as she recognized the man's attire as that of a bandit. By the color scheme, she knew that there would be more of them nearby. She suddenly wished that she had let Ryu stay with her at McNeil.

"S'okay, ma'am," replied the bandit, just getting to his feet. "Just give us all your dough and we'll call it even."

"I-I'm sorry, I don't have any money." She swallowed hard. "I don't have any use for it."

The young miscreant considered her with an appraising look. He nodded and gestured towards her. "Okay, tell you what. You give me and the guys some of what's under there, and we'll call it even, eh?"

"Under…?" Momo looked down as she tried to figure out what he was referring to. Then she paled. "You can't be serious!"

The man simply grinned at her as four other men appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabbed for her arms and legs.

"NO!" Momo cried as one man took hold of an arm. "Leave me a-LONE!" She took hold of one attacker's wrist with her free hand and hammer-threw him into the other arm-grabber.

"Damn, guys! This one's feisty!" The bandit leader whooped as more bandits appeared, taking hold of hands, wrists, ankles…

"Ah ah ah!" he scolded as a hand reached for one of Momo's breasts. "I called dibs, remember?" The hand promptly retreated.

Terror shone in Momo's eyes and she struggled against too many hands as the leader slowly made his way toward her, working the buckle of his pants…

  


* * *

  
The tower nearly loomed over the young man as he crouched over the pile of wood.

"Nuts," Ryu muttered as he attempted the age-old method of rubbing sticks together. For the sixth time. The evening's catch flopped a short distance away, trying to escape its fate. "Rei taught me, and he has no problem doing it, so why…?" He finally sat back and glared at the fire, as though he could ignite it by irritation alone.

He started to consider changing to his fire dragon form when…he blinked, a feeling suddenly making its presence known. Faint at first, but eventually grew into recognizable…fear.

Ryu instinctively knew the cause. "Momo!" He ran three steps and leaped into the air, changing into his Sky Dragon form at the apex. _I'm coming!_

He flew at top speed in the direction of Wyndia.

  


* * *

  
"Damn, this girl's got fight!" the leader, Duran, yelled as another of his men sailed overhead. "Now I really want some of her!"

The eight men had managed to get the young woman's top off, leaving her with the most basic undergarment to protect her modesty. "I'm takin' that off," the head scumbag had said.

It turned out, however, that their intended victim had stronger legs than they expected. Even with her ankles held, she would still manage to kick anyone who went after her pants. Missing teeth were quickly becoming the special of the day.

  


* * *

  
Ryu had to land. He could only see so much from the sky, and he was afraid that he would overshoot her if he remained in flight.

He touched down near a cluster of trees, hoping to conceal his descent. He assumed success when no one jumped out to attack him. The feeling of fear strengthened the closer he came to the nearby road.

He inched his way around a border tree, hoping for a peek at what was happening to scare his friend so badly. He also didn't want to charge in without knowing what he would be up against.

Peering around the corner, his plans for subtlety and stealth went to hell as he saw several men pinning down a half-dressed young woman. A glimpse of red hair was all it took…

"MOMO!"

  


* * *

  
"Where the hell is Triad?" Duran growled. "I sent him for rope ten minutes ago!"

"I tell ya boss, it was five!" a struggling underling answered. "It just - OW, dammit! - seems like ten."

"Damn! It's about time!" Duran shouted at Triad's approaching form. "What the hell…took…you…" he trailed off as he realized that his henchman was somehow…floating.

Triad suddenly flew sideways to reveal a young man with blue hair and mostly white traveling clothes.

Duran was somewhat nonplussed. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. 

The blue-haired man ignored the question and pointed at Duran's captive. "I'm taking her with me."

Momo recognized the voice through the grunts of the men around her. "Ryu!"

Duran looked over his shoulder at the pile of bodies while pointing at the young man. "Guys, this is Ryu," he said with a smirk. "Kill him!"

Several of the bodies detached from the pile to throw themselves at the newcomer, swords and daggers drawn. Duran moved over to his remaining men. "Kill him, I'll take care of her." As soon as his men let go, Duran picked Momo up and spun around behind her, wrapping his arm around her neck. "This oughta shut you up," he growled as she gasped for air.

  
Ryu drew his sword as the men approached, thankful that he had enough foresight to bring it with him. The first brigand came in with a downward swing, which Ryu easily sidestepped. He planted a boot in the brigand's backside as said brigand passed him, sending him tumbling to the ground.

This enraged the others, and they came in swinging and thrusting and jabbing. Ryu became a whirlwind of parries, knocking blades and bodies away. Keeping true to his desire not to kill, he moved to disarm and to render unconscious.

That almost proved his undoing, however. Sidestepping a sword jab, he knocked the offending blade out of its owner's hand. Suddenly a shooting pain exploded from the left side of his ribs, causing him to drop his sword. He reflexively smashed his elbow into the offender's face, but the damage had been done. Knocking the last attacker away, he reached down with a shaky hand to pull the dagger from between his ribs. He dropped to his knees as he dumbly examined the blade, his foggy brain trying to figure out how much damage the blade had done to him. He could faintly hear a strangled scream from some direction, causing him to look up in some demented twist of slow-motion.

He saw one of the bad men holding Momo, an arm around her neck and a hand firmly pressed against one of her breasts.

And, as they say, all hell broke loose.

  


* * *

  
Momo had nearly been shocked senseless when the bandit leader put his hand where it didn't belong, but thanks to his arm across her throat she was quickly becoming too weak to do anything about it.

That didn't stop her from screaming once when she saw Ryu take the knife between his ribs, and again when she saw him fall to his knees.

"See that, bitch?" Duran taunted. "That's what happens when you…" He trailed off as he noticed a glow emanating from Ryu's body. "What the hell's going on?" he yelled at his men. "Whatever he's doing, STOP HIM!"

His order came too late as the glow completely engulfed Ryu, blinding everyone in the process. When the glow faded, Ryu came into view, back on his feet and…different. "What the…"

Ryu looked almost the same as before only his blues had been replaced by orange and some form of energy crackled across his frame, his clothes. He glared directly at the bandit leader and his hostage.

Unfortunately for his men, Duran was too far away to notice the full effect. When one of his men looked at him as if to ask for orders he shouted, "What're you looking at me for, dipshit? Finish him!"

Momo finally loosened his arm enough to croak, "No! He'll kill them if they attack!"

Duran wrenched his arm, closing off her windpipe. "I said shut up! At least he won't touch me as long as I have you!" Momo set again to gagging as Duran's men retrieved their weapons and advanced on the unarmed man.

The first bandit to attack nearly paid the ultimate price. He ran up to the unmoving young man and brought his knife up to stab downward, only to find himself suddenly lifted by the throat by an unseen force. After raising several feet, he suddenly flew into a nearby thorn bush.

Ryu began to advance on Duran and Momo as the next two attacked. They also ended up in the thorn bush. Another was thrown into a tree, rendered unconscious by the impact. Another ended up in the branches of a very tall tree. The last few were simply knocked out by a sudden burst of energy from the young man, dropping where they stood.

Ryu stopped a few paces away from Duran and his prisoner, and glared at him with more hate than possible.

Duran tried to remain unfazed, but failed. He quickly moved his hand from Momo's breast to his belt, then back to hold a knife. "Bad ass, huh? You move and I'll cut her wide open. I'll do it, you son of a bitch!"

Ryu's angry glare intensified, if that were possible. _Let her go!_

"Holy shit!" Duran yelped at the sound of the voice in his head. He quickly regained his composure. "Nice try, but your ventriloquism shit won't work! Now step off, or I start cuttin'!" He moved the blade closer to Momo's chest.

During the exchange, Duran's grip had loosened enough for Momo to get her wits back. In her attempt to suck in air, she caught a glimpse of her friend's eyes and realized…"Duran, wait! He forgot his Failure Gene! He'll kill y-"

"What'd I tell you, bitch? Shut the hell u-UUCK!" he gagged as Ryu seemed to teleport up to him, snatch the blade from his hand, then lift him in the air by his throat. He struggled and managed to kick Ryu in the face, which only served to make the young man angrier and tighten his grip.

Ryu glared up at Duran's watering eyes. _Does it feel good?_

"G-GAAACK!"

_Feeling the life being wrenched from you?_

"HUUUCHK!" Duran's so-called life began flashing before his eyes.

Momo, who had tumbled to the ground during Ryu's initial assault, looked up in time to see Duran's face begin to turn purple. "Ryu, don't! You're killing him!"

Ryu couldn't hear her. Even if he could, his current state would have caused him to ignore her.

Momo scrambled to her feet and ran to the Kaiser Dragon and his prey. Without thinking she grabbed the arm not supporting Duran and tugged at it. "Ryu, stop! Please!"

That seemed to reach him. His look of open hatred started to fade as he dropped the choking bandit, the movement also causing Momo to tumble to the ground.

Duran looked up at Ryu as he gasped for air. He quickly obliged when the voice in his head told him to _Get out of here._

As Duran disappeared around the bend, Ryu turned his attention to his friend. _Momo…_

"I'm okay." Momo shakily rose to her feet and started to look around for her top when she felt a burning sensation. She looked over at Ryu to see him gazing at her intently. "Ryu, what's wrong…oh, no…"

Ryu began to advance on her this time, his expression not filled with hate, but something unreadable.

Momo began backpedaling, trying to keep a safe distance. "Ryu, be careful…you don't know what you're doing right now…without your Failure-" She tripped on an uneven area in the road and fell on her backside. Ryu stopped a few paces away from her, just as he had with Duran, and studied her. "Ryu, please…please don't hurt me…"

Ryu angled his head ever so slightly. _I would never hurt you, Momo._ She suddenly found herself in his arms, feeling the raw, primal energies surge around her, and she began to tremble. _I love you…_ And he kissed her, gently pressing against her soft lips with his.

Momo's ears flipped nearly straight up at the revelation until he started to move his lips against hers, a sensuous massage, amazingly tender considering the nature of his Kaiser form. Her hands moved up to run their fingers through his hair, catching at the back of his head.

He finally broke the kiss and allowed her to get enough air to pant as he started planting smaller kisses on her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, her-

"Oh god Ryu, not the neck…" she babbled as he nuzzled the soft skin. She half-heartedly tried to push him away. "Ryu, please…stop…"

It was as though someone had flipped Ryu's switch off. The flow of energy immediately subsided and he returned to his normal colors.

He slowly withdrew his face from her neck, a look of horror on his face. He couldn't look her in the eye, or anywhere else for that matter. "Oh no, I-I'm sorry…" He quickly let go of the near-topless young woman and scooted to sit a short distance away.

Momo, still trying to find her wits and deal with the sudden sense of loss, tried to console him. From a distance. "It's okay, Ryu. I'm fine, you're fine, everything's just...fine…" She found her top within reaching distance and started to put it on. "Look at me, Ryu."

Ryu continued to examine the ground.

"Let's just get back home and-" Her eyes widened. "Ryu! You're still bleeding!" She hurried to her feet and rushed over to her friend. "We have to treat that quickly!" She plopped down next to him to examine the wound below his arm. It had partially healed, likely during his time in Kaiser form, but it still required conventional treatment. "Come on Ryu, you could die from this!" She scowled at his stubborn form. "Come with me right now, Ryu!"

Ryu immediately rose and moved to stand next to her, still unable to meet her gaze.

"That's better." Momo took hold of the arm on his uninjured side and began to lead him back to the tower. 


	11. Chapter Ten

A shirtless Ryu sat and stared at the wall ahead of him as Momo worked on cleaning the blood from his side. He could remember with perfect clarity his actions during the fight with Duran and his men. And afterward…

"It looks as though you've healed a bit already," Momo noted as she rubbed at the wounded area with a wet cloth. "Does it hurt at all?"

Ryu didn't answer.

"Ryu?"

Ryu still didn't answer.

"Lost in thought, huh?" She smiled warmly at the sight. "Well that's okay, you go right ahead."

Ryu still didn't answer.

Three trips to the sink later, Momo finally sat back on her heels. "Well, doesn't that just beat all…"

Ryu slowly turned his head toward her, an expression of shock plain. "What did you just say?"

Momo shrugged. "It seemed to be the most appropriate thing to say." She gestured toward his side. "You're completely healed."

"You're kidding." Ryu raised his arm to see for himself. Sure enough, other than a few flecks of dried blood, no sign of a wound could be found. "Well, doesn't that…" He caught Momo's amused smile and snorted. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

After refreshing the cloth at the sink again, Momo set to work cleaning the last of the wound and gathered her courage. "Ryu, I have a question…"

"Sure Momo, what is it?"

Momo took a deep breath before continuing. "While you were in you Kaiser form, you…said something…to me…" She bit her lip to try and stay focused. "Ryu…do…do you love me?"

Ryu returned to staring at the wall, but his breathing deepened, his face flared red, and Momo realized that she had likely started a war within the young dragon. "I-I'm sorry Ryu, I shouldn't have asked-"

Ryu suddenly stood up, grabbing his shirt as he did. "I'm going to bed. Good-night, Momo." He hurriedly put his shirt on as he headed for the door.

Momo scrambled to her feet and hurried after her friend. "Ryu, wait, please!" she cried.

Ryu stopped by the door long enough to say, "I'm sorry, Momo. I'll leave in the morning. I don't want to cause any more trouble." Then without looking back he left, the tumblers in the door thundering in Momo's ears.

She stared sadly at the door, unaware of the tears that slowly slid down her cheeks. "Ryu…"

  


* * *

  
Ryu paced within the confines of his borrowed room, his mind trying to race but running into the many walls of confusion, preventing him from achieving clear thought.

"D…D…D…D…Dammit!" Ryu swore for the first time in his life, the frustration having overwhelmed him. "I'm so confused!"

Random thoughts rolled and crashed in the ocean of his mind. "The young plump ones, huh Bono?" he asked a memory. "What's wrong with Momo? Sure, Nina's cute and winged and a princess, and…plump…" He grimaced. "But Momo's a woman, she's not cute. She's beautiful…and smart, too." He clamped his hands around his head. "What am I saying? I don't understand…"

It was as though there were two entities within Ryu. Rather than fighting for control, one was trying to help the other understand.

Ryu became aware of a sudden change from within, and he pulled his hands from his head to find his body taking on the colors of the Kaiser. "Oh no, not now…"

* * *

  
Momo jerked awake from a troubled sleep to a sudden scream from Ryu's room. Not bothering to don her robe, she ran barefoot the short distance from her room.

She found Ryu crouched, hands on either side of his head, and shifting colors wildly. Kaiser and back, Kaiser and back, Kaiser… "Ryu?"

Ryu's head snapped up to look at her, and she could plainly see the confusion and terror in his eyes. "Oh God, stay away, I don't wanna hurt you…"

Momo didn't fully understand what was going on, but she knew that she had to help him in any way she could.

She smiled softly. "Don't worry Ryu, I know you'd never hurt me, you said so yourself." She slowly made her way toward him, never taking her determined eyes off of his panicked ones. "I don't know what you're going through, but I'll help you the best I can."

When she drew close enough, she knelt down in front of Ryu and held out her hands. "Take my hands, Ryu. Everything will be okay, I promise."

The fluctuating dragon looked at her hands, back to her eyes, back to her hands, then slowly reached out a hand and touched her. Apparently satisfied that his touch wouldn't harm her, he reached out with both hands and took hers.

Momo slowly, carefully led Ryu to his feet then pulled him into an embrace. Ryu accepted and began to sob into her shoulder as he held her as close as possible.

The very thought of someone as strong as Ryu being reduced to his current state almost brought tears to Momo's eyes. But she remembered all of the times that Ryu had been her support and realized that now…now…he needed her to be strong. 


	12. Epilogue

Momo awoke to find herself in a darkened room and on top of something warm and…breathing? "Where…?"

As her eyes adjusted to the dark she realized that she was in Ryu's room, in bed with him. Everything suddenly came back to her. "Oh yeah…Kaiser…."

  


*

After consoling Ryu for several minutes, Momo had managed to get Ryu into bed, only to find that any attempt to leave the room cause him to 'flare up' again. Finally, she had decided to sleep with him, as they had when camping. "Remember the Rakda?" she had asked an unresponsive Ryu.

When she had fallen asleep, she did so with an arm across his midsection. By morning, however, she had somehow managed to half-climb onto him, holding him like an oversized teddy bear. 

*

  
Momo had just started to carefully pull herself out of bed when Ryu began to stir. She froze, wide-eyed, unsure of how her friend would react to her presence.

Ryu grunted and stretched his arms above him, then stopped as he became aware of an unusual weight on his body. He brought his arms back down and, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, looked down his body. 

Momo stared back at him with wide eyes. Then she suddenly threw herself completely on top of him, bringing the two of them abruptly nose-to-nose. "I don't care what you say Ryu you're not leaving me You'll have to throw me off to leave but since that could hurt me I know you won't do it Ryu the fact of the matter is that I think I love you so please don't leave." She dropped her head to his shoulder, pink hair everywhere, exhausted from the early-morning exertion.

Ryu blinked several times, partly to finish focusing his thoughts, partly to remove errant pink hairs. "Momo…I don't really understand love between a man and a woman, but…" A deep breath. "…what I do know is that this…" He wrapped his arms around her and gave a gentle squeeze. "…feels right. Like I'm supposed to be here with you, to protect you, or whatever." He shrugged his shoulder to encourage Momo to lift her head. Once he met her eys he added. "So basically…I'm not going anywhere…without you, that is."

Momo bit her lip and fought the tears that threatened. "Welcome home, Ryu."

Nighttime found them still wrapped in each others' embrace, sleeping off the exhaustion of an entire courtship.

  
_Work complete._


End file.
